Any pricing reductions from the pandemic and economic dislocation will be short-lived. A new survey from CBRE finds that 70% of respondents plan to increase investment by at least 20% this year compared to 2020, but only 30% of investors on the sale-side made the same claim. This disconnect between buyers and sellers will likely drive buying competition and pricing, creating a seller's market.

Most investors are anticipating an active year acquisitions year. While 70% plan to increase acquisition activity this year, another 23% plan to maintain acquisitions activity. Overall, only 7% of investors are reducing buying capacity or exiting the market altogether.

More investors in the Americas are planning to increase investment activity this year than in other regions. In the EMEA region, nearly 60% of buyers plan to increase purchasing this year and about 30% plan to maintain buying activity. In the APAC region, about 40% of investors plan to increase investment by 20%, while roughly 50% plan to maintain investment activity.